Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to an alignment structure of a liquid-crystal display device and a liquid-crystal display device using the same. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to an alignment structure of a high-resolution liquid-crystal display device that is capable of minimizing impairment of elements in the liquid-crystal display device and improving an alignment accuracy of the liquid-crystal display device with modules such as a camera module, and a liquid-crystal display device using the same.
Description of the Related Art
A liquid-crystal display (LCD) refers to a display including a liquid-crystal display panel having a liquid-crystal layer. A liquid-crystal display is driven by adjusting transmittance of a liquid-crystal display panel with respect to light from a light source such as a backlight unit. Recently, there has been an increasing demand for a liquid-crystal display device having small thickness and a minimized bezel, as well as high resolution and low power consumption
A liquid-crystal display device may be used as an element of an electronic apparatus. When an LCD device is used as an element of an electronic apparatus, the LCD device is configured to be coupled with the housing of the electronic apparatus. For example, an LCD device may be used as an element of a monitor or a television and may be coupled with the housing of the monitor or the television.
When an LCD device is coupled with the housing of an electronic device, means for aligning the LCD device with the housing is required. As used herein, aligning refers to positioning the housing with respect to an LCD device as designed. Coupling refers to physically attaching or fastening an LCD device to the housing. For example, when an LCD device is coupled with the housing of a monitor, the LCD device can be aligned with the housing by aligning a position where screws are engaged. Alternatively, the LCD device and the housing may include additional fasteners for coupling one with the other. For example, the frame of the LCD device may have protruding fasteners and the fasteners corresponding to the housing are engaged by mating with each other. Thus, the LCD device can be aligned with the housing and fixed in its position.
As electronic devices develop, various modules such as a such as a camera module, a variety of sensor modules, a controller board, etc. are included in electronic devices. Accordingly, it has also become important for electronic devices to align an LCD device with various modules as well as with the housing. Further, in some cases, an LCD device may be aligned with the housing by aligning the LCD device with a module. In such cases, an alignment accuracy of the LCD device with the module is especially important. Accordingly, various types of ways for increasing an alignment accuracy of the LCD device with the module are employed.
FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of an existing LCD device 10. FIG. 1 schematically shows an external portion of the existing LCD device 10 including a support 15 for coupling with a camera module. Referring to FIG. 1, the existing LCD device 10 includes a transparent plate 11, a liquid-crystal display panel 12, a flexible substrate 13, a first chassis 14, and a support 15.
Referring to FIG. 1, the support 15 of the existing LCD device 10 includes a pair of projections 15b extended away from the liquid-crystal display panel 12. The projections 15b are disposed adjacent to the flexible substrate 13 connected to the liquid-crystal display panel 12. The projections 15b has a guide unit 15a formed thereon for guiding the alignment of the camera module 17. The guide unit 15a has a cone-like shape or an inclined cylinder-like shape protruding from the respective projection 15b of the support 15. The guide unit 15a is a part of the support 15 and is integrated with the respective projection 15b. A camera area CA is formed between a pair of projections 15b. 
The camera module 17 aligned with the LCD device 10 has openings 18 that may be aligned with the respective guide units 15a. Each of the guide units 15a of the LCD device 10 is inserted into the respective openings 18 of the camera module 17 so that the LCD device 10 is aligned with and coupled with the camera module 17. By doing so, a camera lens 19 of the camera module 17 can be located in the center of the camera area CA. As the camera module 17 is coupled with the housing, the LCD device 10 can also be aligned with and coupled with the housing via the camera module 17 aligned with the guide units 15a. 
As LCD devices advance, the demand for LCD devices having smaller thickness and higher resolution is increasing. If such an LCD device having smaller thickness and higher resolution is coupled with a module by using existing guide units integrated with a support, many defects may occur and the alignment accuracy may be lowered.
In fact, an increase in resolution of an LCD device means an increase in the number of pixels per unit area of the LCD device. In addition, as the number of pixels increases, the numbers of driving circuits for controlling the pixels and lines connected thereto also increase. As the numbers of the driving circuits and lines increase, the number of flexible substrates on which the lines or the driving circuits are formed has to be increased. Or, a flexible substrate having a larger area is required. Flexible substrates may be, for example, a chip-on-film (COF) or a flexible printed circuit board (FPCB).
In existing LCD devices, the projections having guide units are disposed adjacent to flexible substrates. As the number or area of the flexible substrates increases, the flexible substrates are disposed more densely. Therefore, in an LCD device having high resolution, the projections having guide units may overlap with the flexible substrates.
The inventors of the application have discovered that if flexible substrates are overlapped with the projections with guide units, the flexible substrates may collide with the guide units during the manufacturing process. Thus, the flexible substrates may be subjected to impact, and the guide units may collide with the flexible substrates, causing lines formed on the flexible substrates to be impaired.